Territory



E. HOUTZ.

(No Model.)

GAR GOUPLING. Y

, llatented June 12, 1888.

UNITED 'STATES ATENT OFFICEo EDWARD HOUTZ, OF BLUNT, DAKOTA TERRITORY,ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JOAB F. VILLIAMS, OF SAME PLACE.

CARBCOUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 384,575,dated June 12,18S 8.

Application tiled March 2L ISES. Serial No.267,9-15.

.To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD HOUTZ, a citizen of the United States,residing at Blunt, in the county of Hughes andTerritory of Dakota, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Car-Couplings, of which thefollowing is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in car-couplers of thelink-and-pin variety, the object being to lift the pin automatically toengage in the adjacent end of the link; and it consists in theconstruction and novel combination of parts hereinafter described,illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in theappended claims.

In the drawings, Figure I represents a perspective view of a car-couplerembodying the invention, one draw-head being cutaway at the side to showthe internal arrangement. In this view the link is shown engaged by bothpins. Fig. 2 represents a vertical longitudinal section of one draw-headof the coupler, showing the link entering and raising the pin.

Referring to the drawings by letter, A A

d designate the two draw-heads of the coupler,

which are similarin all respects, so that a description of one onlyisnecessary. The drawhead A is provided with the upper and lowerpin-holes, a a', respectively, in its roof and Hoor, and has, a suitabledistance in rear of the upper pin-hole, a transverse slot, a2, in itsroof. The floor'of the recess in the draw-head is recessed at a3transversely under the inner end of the spring B, hereinafter described,to form a seat for the inner end of the connecting-link G.

B is a strong leaf-spring, with its outer end secured to the upper edgeof the mouth-of the draw-head, whence it extends downward and l inwardtill it nearly touches the floor. It then bends in a short curve, b, andinward and beyond said curve extends inward and slightly upward to apoint nearly vertically below the slot a2, whence it extends upward at bthrough said slot to a suitable but small height above the draw-head.The springB is provided with a longitudinal slot, b2, that isimmediately above the lower pin-hole, c.

C is a double-armed angle-lever, pivoted at its angle upon thetransverse bar or rod d of a (No model.)

bracket, D, secu red to the top of the draw-head a short distance inrear of the transverse slot c2. The lower arm, c, of said lever projectsforward and downward,` and rests on the upwardly-extended rear end, b',of the spring B. The upper arm, c', of the lever extends forward, andhas its end bifurcated and eyes c2 formed on the ends of the arms of thebifurcation.

Eis the pin hanging in the openings aa and through the slot b2 in thespring. The upper end of the pin is pivoted between the eyes c2 by thepin e.

F :is a spring having one end secured to the top of the arm c' of theangle-lever, and the other end, which is free, resting upon the top ofthe draw-head in rear of said lever. The function of the spring F is toprevent the lever C from being raised too high, and thereby pulling thepin out of the upper pin-hole, a.

Vhen the end of the link G enters the corresponding draw-head, it forcesupward the spring B therein, and, by means of the rear vertical portion,b', of said spring, raises the arm c of the.anglelever, and consequentlyraises the pin from the lower opening, a. When the end of the lever haspassed inward beyond the pin-openings, the arm c,which has been inclinedmore and more upward as the extension b was rising, slips oft' saidextension, and the pin consequently falls. Vhen the link is withdrawn,the spring B moves downward, and the extension b', which normally bearsagainst the rear side of the slot a2, springs again under the arm C,which is sufficiently short to permit this. The spring B also, bybearing upon the link G, holds the same horizontal and in properposition to engage in the opposite draw-head.

The device can be readily and quickly fitted to draw-heads of ordinaryconstruction, and will, as is seen, couple automatically.

Having described my invention, I claiml. In a car-coupler, thecombination, with the draw-head, of a spring secured within the recessof the draw-head in the path ofthe link, the rear upwardly-extended freeend of which spring extends through a slot in the drawhead, the doublearmed lever pivoted on a support on the top of the draw-head, with its.stantially as speeied.

2. In a ear-coupler, the combination of the link G with the recesseddraw-head A, having the pin-holes aa, the slot a2 in its roof in rearofthe pin-holes, and the recess ai in its floor Within, the spring B,having the curved portion b, the vertically-extended rear end, b', andthe Slot b2, the donblearined lever C, pivoted on a bracket on top ofthe draw-head, and the hanging pin pivoted to the upper arm of saidlever, substantially as specified.

3. The combination of the link with the reees/sed draw-head having theslot a?, Lheslotted spring B, having the upwardly-extended rear 2o end,b', the doublearmed pivoted lever, the pin hanging from the upper arm ofsaid lever, and the spring F, having its outer or front end secured tothe upper arm of the double-armed lever and its free rear end bearing onthe top 25 of the draw-head, substantially as specified.

In testimony that; I elaim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signaturein presence of two witnesses.

A EDWARD HoUTZ.

IVitnesses:

SOL. RIMER, A. F. REED.

